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Spanish Treasure Fleet
The Spanish Empire established an annual convoy system to concentrate the transport of American silver and goods, institutionalized from the 1560s, w…
Timeline
- 1565Seville · SevilleThe Spanish Crown consolidated scattered transoceanic voyages into annual convoys, regulating departure times, routes, and cargo registration systems to concentrate the escort of American silver shipments.
- 1575–1585Havana (assembly port) · HavanaThe New Spain fleet and the Peru fleet assembled separately at Veracruz and Panama–Lima, joining forces at Havana to cross the Atlantic in formation, establishing a fixed dual-route system.
- 1595–1600Cádiz · CádizWith the Anglo-Spanish War and privateering threats intensifying, the treasure fleet added armed galleons, adjusted departure seasons, and strengthened Caribbean patrols to ensure the safety of silver transport around the turn of the century.
Sources
- The Spanish Treasure Fleets — Timothy R. Walton (2002)
- Empires of the Atlantic World: Britain and Spain in America 1492-1830 — J. H. Elliott (2006)